4 Must-Have Fitness Tips From Famed Personal Trainer Jillian Michaels

We say it all the time here at mindbodygreen: The best exercise is the one you'll do. Period, full stop, end of story. So while we've waxed poetic on workouts for longevity, autophagy, metabolic conditioning, and so on, we realize that if you don't enjoy those workouts, you won't actually stick to them—and pointing out those health benefits isn't the best way to go. 

No one knows this better than renowned personal trainer Jillian Michaels, who has worked with countless clients in the gym and knows what works—and what doesn't—to procure real results.

"You and I could have probably hours of conversation about how much intensity, how much stress is too much stress, and what are the most effective workouts for mitochondrial biogenesis," the New York Times bestselling author and Emmy-nominated television talent shares on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. "I could come up with an answer that I think is going to be scientifically superior with regard to utilizing fitness as it means for longevity, athleticism, and healthy body weight." 

"The No. 1 rule of fitness is consistency," says Michaels. Before you dive into strength training exercises, HIIT sessions, and the like, it's important to make regular movement a habit. 

"Get a standup desk—I literally will go work at the kitchen counter," Michaels adds. "You can get a little treadmill walking [pad] with your standup [desk]. I would start people with a 5,000-step-per-day minimum, working up to 10,000." 

According to Michaels, most of us are way too sedentary during the day (we would agree), so it's important to commit to consistency before embarking on any specific workout regimen. Not to mention, walking is absolutely free; your body is the best tool you have, says Michaels, so it's a great way to kick-start a fitness routine. 

Once you incorporate regular movement into your routine, Michaels recommends adding some strength training. If you can, she encourages a minimum of three to four times a week, alternating between pushes, pulls, and total body work. 

Then once you get into the gym, make sure you prioritize form over reps. "If I say air squats, but they don't have the mobility to do them right, I'd be like, 'OK, let's go to the wall; we're going to do wall sits," she notes. Meaning, it's OK if you have to modify a certain exercise—if you find yourself compromising on form, that's a sign you may need to take it down a notch. 

"You won't believe how many [people] can't perform a proper body weight squat or a proper lunge and can end up doing more harm than good," Michaels adds. So do your homework on modifications—just because you need to tweak the exercise doesn't mean you won't get the same muscle gains. 

While consistency is crucial, so is knowing your limits. Michaels, for example, has struggled with a very serious back injury—a fractured spine and herniated discs—so now, she must pay attention to her pain triggers at the gym. "Even [if I have a] tight lower back, I'm like, nope. Everything stops," she says. She'll treat it with ice, heat, perhaps a round of acupuncture, etc. "Other than that, I do nothing for three days until it's completely calm," she notes.